A number of Cultural Centers take photography as their main point of departure. The Institute Moreira Salles is one of these institutions, with over 800,000 photographic images in its repertoire, some of which are the invaluable testimonies of nineteenth century life in Rio. considered the most important photography institution in the country, the Cultural Center located in Gávea, plays host to a wide range of fascinating exhibitions of its works.

What marks this and other photographic cultural institutions out from conventional galleries is the schedule of talks and lectures regarding the works, the educational program on offer, as well as the fact that there is no permanent exhibition.